Keshet has licensed Rising Star to some 25 territories over the past year, including the UK, Germany, and Brazil. In the US, the show goes out on ABC. The format, a hit in its original airing in Israel, was the fastest-selling show of 2013.

Italian production shingle Toro, which is part of Sony Pictures Entertainment Group, will produce the local version of Rising Star.

The new program comes at a time as Mediaset, which is controlled by former Italian Prime Minister and billionaire media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, struggles to return to profitability. The company reported its first-ever full-year loss in 2012, and though it produced a small profit last year early results from 2014 have been a mixed bag.